Clinical Research
Hypnotherapy
Group hypnosis for stress reduction and improved stress coping: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (Fisch et al., 2020)
After 12 weeks, the stress intensity on the VAS showed a between-group difference of − 14.7 mm [− 25.1; − 4.4] (P = 0.006), and the adjusted means were 41.1 mm [33.4; 48.8] in the hypnosis group and 55.9 mm [48.4; 63.5] in the control group. Improvements were also reported for CPSS, SF-36, SWE and ADS-K after 5 and 12 weeks.
Effects of a Brief Mindful Hypnosis Intervention on Stress Reactivity: A Randomized Active Control Study (Slonena et al, 2021)
Participants received a audio-based brief mindful hypnosis (BMH) or CT session and downloaded the audio-recorded intervention for daily home practice. Approximately 1 week later, participants received their second BMH or CT session and then completed the TSST. Results indicated BMH produced significant and medium effects in reducing stress reactivity and weekly stress and increasing mindfulness, with large increases in immediate relaxation compared to the CT active control.
THE EFFICACY OF HYPNOSIS AS A TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY: A META-ANALYSIS (Valentine et al., 2019)
At the end of active treatment, 17 trials produced a mean weighted effect size of 0.79 (p ≤ .001), indicating the average participant receiving hypnosis reduced anxiety more than about 79% of control participants. At the longest follow-up, seven trials yielded a mean weighted effect size of 0.99 (p ≤ .001), demonstrating the average participant treated with hypnosis improved more than about 84% of control participants.
Hypnotherapy for the Management of Chronic Pain (Elkins et al., 2009)
hTis article reviews controlled prospective trials of hypnosis for the treatment of chronic pain. Thirteen studies, excluding studies of headaches, were identified that compared outcomes from hypnosis for the treatment of chronic pain to either baseline data or a control condition. The findings indicate that hypnosis interventions consistently produce significant decreases in pain associated with a variety of chronic-pain problems.
Hypnosis and upper digestive function and disease (Chiarioni et al., 2008)
Hypnosis delivered on a single session by an expert therapist has been shown capable of modulating gastric secretion and accelerating gastric emptying in healthy volunteers. In addition, hypnosis has improved gastric emptying and epigastric sensations in severe functional dyspepsia. Small bowel transit may also be influenced by hypnosis.
Hypnosis improves blood pressure in people with hypertension (Upoyo et al., 2022).
The results showed a significant difference between the hypnosis and control groups in decreasing systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001). In the hypnosis group, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased on average by 7.44 mmHg and 5.16 mmHG respectively. In comparison, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the control group decreased by only 2.72 mmHg and 3.59 mmHg respectively. The hypnosis group also had a significant decrease in reported stress levels (p < 0.001). These results show that hypnotherapy is a feasible treatment which produces a significant effect, in comparison to relaxation in improving blood pressure and stress for people with hypertension.
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Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Clinical EFT Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health (Bach et al., 2019)
Posttest, significant declines were found in anxiety (−40%), depression (−35%), posttraumatic stress disorder (−32%), pain (−57%), and cravings (−74%), all P < .000. Happiness increased (+31%, P = .000) as did SigA (+113%, P = .017). Significant improvements were found in RHR (−8%, P = .001), cortisol (−37%, P < .000), systolic BP (−6%, P = .001), and diastolic BP (−8%, P < .000). Positive trends were observed for HRV and HC and gains were maintained on follow-up, indicating EFT results in positive health effects as well as increased mental well-being.
Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions: A systematic review (Church et al., 2022)
RCTs have found EFT treatment to be effective for (a) psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (b) physiological issues such as pain, insomnia, and autoimmune conditions; (c) professional and sports performance; and (d) biological markers of stress.
The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on nurses' stress, anxiety, and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial (Dincer et al., 2021)
Reductions in stress (p < .001), anxiety (p < .001), and burnout (p < .001) reached high levels of statistical significance for the intervention group. The control group showed no statistically significant changes on these measures (p > .05).
The Effect of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) on Athletic Performance: A Randomized Controlled Blind Trial (Church et al., 2012)
This study indicates that a very brief application of EFT, administered in a compressed time frame similar to the duration of a game, can increase performance in high-performing athletes.
The Effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques for Depressive Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis (Seok et al., 2024)
This meta-analysis confirms that EFT is effective in reducing depressive symptoms, with a significant overall impact. Group-based EFT and interventions targeting moderate depression showed the greatest benefits.
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